If you make a hard cider, you can take some freeze it and have something we like to call 'applejack'...
the alcohol does not freeze thus making a high octane cider....

Yeah I was reading up on a guy doing this on one of my 4x4 boards and he said not to transport it after making it.
He said he driving thru California and at a fruit checkpoint they opened his cooler and called out the ATF and Department of Agriculture and they confiscated.
A month later he received a huge fine in the mail.....hehe

Yeah I was reading up on a guy doing this on one of my 4x4 boards and he said not to transport it after making it.
He said he driving thru California and at a fruit checkpoint they opened his cooler and called out the ATF and Department of Agriculture and they confiscated.
A month later he received a huge fine in the mail.....hehe

Im sure the ATF does not like this at all, they and the TTB want their tax money... Im sure the large fine covered said taxes

I need to build something to keep my ferments at a stable temperature!
When the temps dipped down outside the places I wanted to ferment went into the mid 50's.
Those places are usually a steady 65 all year long.

Looks like i'll have to make a wooden box with a light bulb in it with a temperature controller.
I need to have it out in the garage because the kids are just too curious and I don't want them to mess stuff up.

Earlier today I started a batch of hard cider and then I heard my kid getting excited about the bubbles!
So I go into the kitchen to look and the bubbles that he shows me are going into the bucket.
I asked him how it happened and he put his finger on the lid of the bucket and pushed down which then sucked fluid out of the airlock!
AHHHHHH! So I moved it up to my bedroom closet and latched my bedroom door closed.

So now my projects that I have will be to build a fermenting chest that is temperature controlled and kid proof.......hehe

I went to Lazy Boy Brewing in Everett, WA today to try some of their new stuff.
They had a new Bavarian Hefeweizen that was super tasty so I got a growler of it.
I also got a growler of Belgian and Amber..... yum yum!

Also went to the LHBS and picked up some ball lock connectors.
Crap forgot to get the vodka while I was out!

Awesome!
IMO if you buy a kit don't get the CO2 with it!
I learned that lesson when I bought my original kegerator kit for the fridge the previous owners left.
I was all excited when I received the package and pulled out that brand new shiny aluminum CO2 tank!
When I took it to Central Welding to be filled he took the tank to the back room and brought out a beat up dirty CO2 that was full.
He said that they work on an exchange basis and they could fill my new tank if I wanted but they only do that every 2 weeks.

So i'd suggest for you to just go to a Central Welding and put a small deposit on a CO2 tank and get into their exchange system.
As far as the corny tanks you can get them on craigslist for $25 all day long and sometimes 5 for $100.00.

The biggest expense is the regulator and I highly suggest to get a dual gauge unit so you can see tank pressure and beer line pressure.